Abstract P5-16-02: Variance between experts and community practitioners in treatment of metastatic breast cancer

Background

New treatment options continue to improve outcomes for patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). However, clinicians' lack of clinical experience using new agents, a complex treatment landscape, and the broad treatment recommendations in available guidelines can make the choice of an optimal treatment for individual patients with MBC challenging. An online treatment decision support tool was developed to overcome these challenges and provide recommendations from multiple experts for specific MBC patient scenarios. Here we report data comparing expert treatment recommendations with the intended treatment indicated by clinicians using the tool.

Methods

In October 2016, 5 breast cancer experts provided treatment consultation for 492 unique MBC case scenarios based on a simplified set of variables: disease phenotype, previous systemic therapy, visceral crisis (yes/no), and rate of disease progression. These patient and disease characteristics along with expert treatment consultation were used to develop the treatment decision tool. Clinicians used drop-down menus to enter patient and disease factors along with their intended treatment plan. When completed, the experts' treatment recommendations for that specific patient case were shown to the clinicians, at which point the users were asked to indicate if the expert recommendations changed their planned treatment.

Results

From December 2016 through April 2017, 619 healthcare providers entered 1018 patient case scenarios in the online MBC tool representing the following phenotypes: HR+/HER2- (53%), HR-/HER2+ (10%), HR+/HER2+ (14%), and triple-negative breast cancer (23%). A comparison of expert and community oncologist treatment choices in select patient case scenarios with expert consensus is shown in the table. Among participating oncologists whose initial intended treatment of MBC differed from the experts, 51% indicated that they would change their choice of therapy.

Conclusions

MBC therapy continues to evolve with new agents having a large impact on how experts treat MBC. Data from the online MBC treatment decision support tool indicate variance in expert and oncologist treatment choices for many case scenarios. Moreover, consensus expert recommendations in this online tool changed the intended treatment plan of many using it and, therefore, can help optimize the care of patients with MBC. A detailed analysis of self-identified practice trends among those using the online tool, along with a comparison of expert and participating oncologist treatment choices for different MBC case scenarios, will be presented.

MBC Case ScenarioMajority Consensus Recommendation Among Experts, %Tool Cases Where Oncologist Intended Treatment Matched the Expert Consensus Recommendation, %HR+/HER2- (no visceral crisis)•De novoPalbociclib + letrozole: 10023•Previous (neo)adjuvant AIPalbociclib + fulvestrant: 9219•Previous palbociclib + letrozoleFulvestrant: 820•Previous palbociclib + fulvestrantEverolimus + exemestane: 8750HR-/HER2+•De novoTHP: 10068•Previous pertuzumabT-DM1: 10066Triple-negative breast cancer•Visceral crisisCombination CT: 9139•No visceral crisis, fast progressionSingle-agent CT: 7250AI, aromatase inhibitor; CT, chemotherapy.

Citation Format: Quill TA, Blackwell KL, Hurvitz S, Miller KD, Robert N, Obholz KL, Jahanzeb M. Variance between experts and community practitioners in treatment of metastatic breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-16-02.

Abstract P5-08-27: Treatment patterns and clinical outcomes in patients with hormone receptor (HR)+ HER2+ metastatic breast cancer and low vs high levels of HR positivity from the SystHERs Registry

Introduction In 2010, the cutoff for HR positivity in breast cancer was established as ≥1% of cells staining HR+, previously having varied from 1% to 10%. The impact of this change on treatment patterns and outcomes is poorly understood. SystHERs is a prospective, observational cohort registry of patients (pts) with HER2+ metastatic breast cancer (MBC) that commenced enrollment in 2012. To our knowledge, SystHERs is the largest registry to collect and analyze data for the HER2+ subgroup. We report baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and early outcomes by %HR+ (1–9% vs 10–100%).

Methods SystHERs enrolled pts aged ≥18 years and within 6 months of HER2+ MBC diagnosis. For pts with locally-determined HR+ disease, defined as HR+ in primary or metastatic tissue, %HR+ is the highest percentage of ER+ or PR+ tissue in early breast cancer or MBC. The percentage of ER+ or PR+ cells was not reported for pts considered HR– by the investigator. Median overall survival (OS; Kaplan–Meier) and hazard ratios (Cox regression) were estimated.

Results As of Feb 1, 2016, data were available for 872 eligible pts with known HR status, of whom 608 (70%) had HR+ disease. Of the 608 pts, 53 (9%) had 1–9%HR+ and 496 (82%) had 10–100%HR+; %HR+ was not reported for 59 pts. Baseline characteristics were similar between %HR+ subgroups (Table 1).

As shown in Table 2, the 1–9%HR+ subgroup was less likely to receive first-line hormonal therapy (26%) than the 10–100%HR+ subgroup (56%). 87% and 79% of pts received chemotherapy, respectively.

Median time from MBC diagnosis was 16.5 months (range, 0.4–49.4 months). Median OS was not reached at the data cutoff. The number of deaths was 13 (25%) in the 1–9%HR+ subgroup, and 68 (14%) in the 10–100%HR+ subgroup (log-rank P=0.025). The OS hazard ratio (0.514, 95% CI 0.283–0.931) favored the 10–100%HR+ subgroup. OS did not differ significantly between pts with 1–9%HR+ vs HR– disease (log-rank P=0.582, hazard ratio 1.185, 95% CI 0.647–2.169).

Table 1. Baseline characteristics 1-9%HR+ (n=53)10-100%HR+ (n=496)HR– (n=264)Age at MBC diagnosis, median yrs (range)54 (30–86)57 (21–86)55 (28–88)Race, %   White838372Black151320Premenopausal, %282522ECOG performance status, %   04654441463942≥2878MBC diagnosis type, %   De novo404958Recurrent605142Visceral, %*686275*Non-hepatic abdominal, ascites, CNS, liver, lung, or pleural effusion sites of metastasis

Table 2. First-line treatment 1-9%HR+ (n=53)10-100%HR+ (n=496)HR– (n=264)HER2-targeted therapy, %969391Chemotherapy, %877989Hormonal therapy, %26564

Conclusions These preliminary observational data suggest potential differences in treatment patterns and survival outcomes in low vs moderate/high HR+ expressers, with the former being less likely to receive hormonal therapy (26% vs 56%). Furthermore, low HR positivity was associated with poorer OS and was similar to OS observed in pts with HR– disease.

Citation Format: Jahanzeb M, Tripathy D, Rugo H, Swain S, Kaufman PA, Mayer M, Hurvitz S, O'Shaughnessy J, Mason G, Yardley DA, Brufsky A, Chu L, Antao V, Beattie M, Yoo B, Cobleigh M. Treatment patterns and clinical outcomes in patients with hormone receptor (HR)+ HER2+ metastatic breast cancer and low vs high levels of HR positivity from the SystHERs Registry [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-08-27.

Abstract P1-07-09: A multi-OMIC analysis to explore the impact of “actionable” genomic alterations on protein pathway activation: Clinical implication for precision medicine in metastatic breast cancer

Background: While genomic alterations are central players in tumor progression, proteins are the targets for precision therapy. The degree by which “actionable” genomic alterations translate into activated/altered proteins and pathway is still under investigation. Using a multi-OMIC approach from the SideOut 2 metastatic breast cancer (MBC) trial, this study explored the concordance between selected “actionable” genomic alterations and protein expression/activation.

Methods: Snap frozen biopsies from 29 MBC patients enrolled in a prospective phase II trial were used for this analysis. Exome WES and RNASeq data was processed using an in-house developed pipeline and identified amplification of CCND1 (6/29), FGFR1 (4/29), and FGF 3, 4, 5, and 19 (4/29) as some of most frequent “actionable” genomic alterations in our MBC cohort. Signaling analysis of the 29 cases was performed using Reverse Phase Protein Microarray coupled with Laser Capture Microdissection. Protein expression/phosphorylation was measured in a continuous scale and classified based on quartile distribution. Concordance between CCND1 amplification and Cyclin D1 expression, along with the activation of FOXM1 T600 and Rb S780, was explored. Amplification of the FGFR1 locus or its ligands was correlated with the level of activation/phosphorylation of FGFR1 Y653/654.

Results: While Cyclin D1 protein expression was greater than the population mean for 4/6 (67%) patients with CCND1 amplification, only 2/6 (33%) patients with CCND1 amplification had Cyclin D1 level within the top quartile of the population (n=29). FOXM1 T600 activation was independent from CCND1 amplification, with high levels of FOXM1 T600 predominantly in the CCND1 wild-type population. Only 1/6 (17%) patients with CCND1 amplification had FOXM1 T600 level similar to the top quartile of the population while a second patient was above the population median. Activation of Rb S780 was above the population median, but below the top quartile, in 2/6 (33%) CCND1 amplified patients. Similarly, none of the patients with activation of FGFR Y653/654 equal to the top quartile harbored an FGFR1 amplification. Only 1/4 (25%) patients carrying an FGFR1 amplification had an activation of FGFR Y653/654 above the population median. Similarly, 1/4 (25%) patients with FGF ligand amplification showed FGFR Y653/654 level within the top quartile while three patients had FGFR Y653/654 activation below the population median. No significant results were found between proteomic (below/above the median) and genomic characteristics by Fisher test (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Molecular genotyping of “actionable” cancer targets alone may be insufficient in predicting whether the actual drug target protein is expressed and/or activated in any given patient's tumor. Although these results need further validation, the combination of genomic and proteomic data may represent a more informative approach for identifying real molecular drivers of individual lesions as well as “actionable” protein/phosphoprotein targets in the absence of genomic events. Multi-OMIC approaches may lead to more effective stratification in precision medicine trials.

Citation Format: Pierobon M, Wong S, Reeded A, Anthony S, Robert N, Northfelt DW, Jahanzeb M, Vocila L, Wulfkuhle J, Dunetz B, Aldrich J, Byron S, Craig D, Liotta L, Carpten J, Petricoin EF. A multi-OMIC analysis to explore the impact of “actionable” genomic alterations on protein pathway activation: Clinical implication for precision medicine in metastatic breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-07-09.

Abstract P2-05-21: The AKT-mTOR pathway as a potential organ-specific drug target signature of hepatic metastases from breast cancer

Background: The identification of organ-specific targetable signatures may help design more effective treatment for patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). We took a multi-OMIC approach to assess whether the AKT-mTOR pathway is globally activated during metastatic progression or whether it represents an organ-specific target.

Methods: Snap frozen biopsies from 25 MBC patients enrolled in a prospective phase II trial were used. Sites of metastasis were classified as liver (n=8) and others (n=17), the latter including cutaneous, lung, lymph nodes, and intra-abdominal lesions. Signaling analysis of the 25 cases was performed using Reverse Phase Protein Microarray (RPPA) coupled with Laser Capture Microdissection. Activation of the AKT-mTOR pathway was quantified as phosphorylation of AKT (S473) and the mTOR target p70S6 (T389). Matched exome (WES) and RNASeq data were available for 17 of 25 patients, five with liver metastases. Sequencing data was processed using an in-house developed pipeline to identify somatic events including coding mutations, copy number alterations, gene fusions, and differential expression. Activation of the AKT-mTOR pathway and sequencing data were compared between hepatic and non-hepatic lesions using an integrated RPPA and genomic approach.

Results: Among liver metastases, AKT was activated in 4 of the 8 (50.0%) patients, while 6 of the 8 cases (75.0%) showed activation of p70S6. Sequencing data revealed mutation of PIK3CA in 4 of the 5 liver metastases (80.0%). Three of the PIK3CA mutated specimens with catalytic domain mutations (codons 1023 and 147) demonstrated co-activation of AKT and p70S6, while the fourth case, containing a helical domain mutation (E542K), had activation of p70S6 only. The PIK3CA wild-type liver metastasis demonstrated low activation of AKT and p70S6. For non-hepatic metastases AKT was activated in 2 of the 17 cases (11.8%) and p70S6 in 5 of the 17 patients (29.4%).

Discussion: Although these results need further validation, activation of the AKT-mTOR pathway appears to be a hepatic specific signature in MBC and could be used for the selection of targeted agents for hepatic lesions.

Citation Format: Pierobon M, Wong S, Reeder A, Anthony SP, Robert NJ, Northfelt DW, Jahanzeb M, Vocila L, Wulfkuhle J, Dunetz B, Aldrich J, Byron S, Craig D, Liotta L, Petricoin EF, Carpten J. The AKT-mTOR pathway as a potential organ-specific drug target signature of hepatic metastases from breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-05-21.

Abstract P5-09-02: Impact of therapeutic complexity on practice patterns for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in the United States: Results of a 2-phase national study

Background: The rapidly changing clinical management of MBC has challenged the ability of clinicians to understand and integrate new data, which relates directly to the quality of clinical care and is a key determinant of patient outcomes. This study was designed to determine the potential impact of the increased clinical complexity of decision making in MBC on optimal patient care by quantifying professional practice gaps and barriers among oncology specialists at academic medical centers and community clinic settings in the United States.

Methods: From October 2014 to February 2015, 216 actively practicing US oncology specialists with a caseload of ≥1 patient/year with MBC were recruited to participate in a 2-phase national needs assessment study. In the first, qualitative phase, 35 participants consented to a 45-minute telephone interview focused on the personal, contextual, and behavioral factors that influence their clinical reasoning process in diagnosis and treatment of MBC. Findings from this initial phase informed the second phase of the study. This quantitative phase included an online survey comprising specific multiple choice questions, semantic differential rating scales, and case vignettes. Respondents' (N = 181) answers to these questions were compared with optimal answers, as identified by treatment guidelines and MBC experts.

Results: Eight core practice gaps were identified through combined analysis of data from the in-depth interviews and online surveys. Of note, only 15% of respondents agreed with the experts' choice of letrozole + palbociclib as initial treatment for a postmenopausal patient with HR+ MBC with bone and visceral lesions after a prolonged response to adjuvant endocrine therapy. Survey respondents indicated that they use chemotherapy substantially more frequently than experts when treating patients with HR+ MBC. Only 36% of respondents' current practice matched expert recommendations regarding management of toxicity associated with exemestane + everolimus and 32% opted for management strategies with a risk of worsening treatment-related toxicity. Just over 30% of respondents agreed with the expert choice of ado-trastuzumab emtansine as second-line therapy for HER2+ MBC after progression on trastuzumab/paclitaxel. In addition, a minority of respondents knew the mechanisms of action of newly approved (palbociclib [45%]) and investigational agents, including dovitinib (19%), neratinib (30%), pembrolizumab (49%), and pictilisib (28%).

Conclusions: A significant percentage of US oncology specialists are not applying optimal care in patients with MBC. Most notably, this study indicated that participants overuse chemotherapy in patients with HR+ MBC, suboptimally manage treatment-related toxicities, and are challenged to select optimal therapy for HER2+ MBC patients who progress on previous therapy. Finally, a lack of familiarity with mechanisms of action of approved and promising investigational agents in MBC may lead to delays in the appropriate integration of new agents or indications into clinical practice. A full review of the study results and recommendations will be presented.

Citation Format: Quill TA, Jahanzeb M, Obholz KL, Brady E, Howson A, Rasulina M, Willis C, Hurvitz S. Impact of therapeutic complexity on practice patterns for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in the United States: Results of a 2-phase national study. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-09-02.

Clinical outcomes in elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: results from ARIES, a bevacizumab observational cohort study

AIMS

Retrospective analyses from first-line clinical studies in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have reported conflicting results on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival benefits with the addition of bevacizumab to chemotherapy in elderly patients. Here we report effectiveness and safety outcomes by age subgroup for patients with NSCLC in the ARIES observational cohort study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

ARIES enrolled patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC who received first-line bevacizumab-containing treatment per physician's choice. Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to calculate medians and 95% confidence intervals for PFS and overall survival for patients aged <65, ≥65, <75 and ≥75 years.

RESULTS

In total, 1967 patients receiving first-line treatment with bevacizumab and chemotherapy were enrolled. The median PFS and overall survival values were 6.4 (95% confidence interval = 6.0-6.8) and 14.2 (95% confidence interval = 12.7-15.2) months for patients aged <65 years, respectively, and 6.8 (95% confidence interval = 6.3-7.0) and 12.1 (95% confidence interval = 11.4-13.1) months for patients ≥65 years, respectively. For patients <75 years, the median PFS and overall survival values were 6.6 (95% confidence interval = 6.3-6.9) and 13.5 (95% confidence interval = 12.6-14.5) months, respectively, and 6.6 (95% confidence interval = 5.9-7.1) and 11.6 (95% confidence interval = 10.0-12.5) months, respectively, for patients ≥75 years. Incidence proportions of bevacizumab-associated adverse events were generally similar across all age groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Data from the ARIES study suggest that treatment with bevacizumab in combination with chemotherapy is a viable first-line treatment option for elderly bevacizumab-eligible patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC.

Adverse event management in patients with advanced cancer receiving oral everolimus: focus on breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Everolimus, an orally administered rapamycin analogue, inhibits the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a highly conserved intracellular serine-threonine kinase that is a central node in a network of signaling pathways controlling cellular metabolism, growth, survival, proliferation, angiogenesis, and immune function. Everolimus has demonstrated substantial clinical benefit in randomized, controlled, phase III studies leading to approval for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma, advanced neuroendocrine tumors of pancreatic origin, renal angiomyolipoma and subependymal giant-cell astrocytoma associated with tuberous sclerosis complex, as well as advanced hormone-receptor-positive (HR(+)) and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-negative advanced breast cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We discuss clinically relevant everolimus-related adverse events from the phase III studies, including stomatitis, noninfectious pneumonitis, rash, selected metabolic abnormalities, and infections, with focus on appropriate clinical management of these events and specific considerations in patients with breast cancer.

RESULTS

The majority of adverse events experienced during everolimus therapy are of mild to moderate severity. The safety profile and protocols for toxicity management are well established. The class-effect adverse event profile observed with everolimus plus endocrine therapy in breast cancer is (as expected) distinct from that of endocrine therapy alone, but is similar to that observed with everolimus in other solid tumors. Information gained from the experience in other carcinomas on prompt diagnosis and treatments to optimize drug exposure, treatment outcomes, and patients' quality of life also applies to the patient population with advanced breast cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

As with all orally administered agents, education of both physicians and patients in the management of adverse events for patients receiving everolimus is critical to achieving optimal exposure and clinical benefit. Active monitoring for early identification of everolimus-related adverse events combined with aggressive and appropriate intervention should lead to a reduction in the severity and duration of the event.

Abstract P1-12-01: Clinical impact of internet-based tools to help guide therapeutic decisions for metastatic breast cancer (MBC)

Background: Clinical practice guidelines are an important resource to help guide management of patients with MBC. However, guidelines are sometimes difficult to apply to individual patients, particularly when there are 2 or more treatment options with similar levels of evidence. We sought to determine whether expert recommendations on MBC treatment, delivered via an interactive, online decision support tool, would change or confirm the treatment decisions of community practitioners. We further sought to analyze changes in practice patterns and expert recommendations over time by comparing data from the current tool (2013) with data from a similar tool developed previously (2012).

Methods: Both online decision support tools were developed based on input from a panel of 5 experts. Each expert provided treatment recommendations for more than 400 patient scenarios based on a simplified set of variables: disease phenotype (HR status, HER2 status), previous therapy, visceral crisis (yes/no), and rate of disease progression. Users of the tool are prompted to enter specific patient criteria, and are asked to state their intended management approach for that particular patient case. The tool then shows the recommendations of the 5 MBC experts for the specific patient case that the user entered. Finally, the user is prompted to indicate whether the experts’ recommendation confirmed or changed their intended management approach. An analysis of expert recommendations and user-selected treatments was performed to compare results of the 2013 and 2012 tools.

Results: The 2012 decision support tool was utilized by 697 individuals who entered more than 1000 patient case scenarios. Users indicated that the experts’ recommendations changed their intended management approach for 30% of the cases, confirmed their approach for 36%, and did not impact their intended approach for 34%. Utilization data for the 2013 tool are pending. Expert recommendations in the 2012 vs 2013 tools changed to reflect emerging developments in guidelines, evidence, and clinical practice. For example, in 2012 there was no expert consensus on use of everolimus + hormonal therapy for HR+, HER2- patient cases, whereas in 2013, everolimus-based therapy was recommended by the majority of experts (3 out of 5) for 12 different HR+, HER2- cases. There was no consensus among the experts on the use of pertuzumab + trastuzumab and a taxane for HER2+ MBC in 2012, whereas in 2013 at least 3 out of 5 experts recommended it for a total of 36 HER2+ cases. At least 3 of 5 experts recommended trastuzumab emtansine for 96 different HER2+ cases in 2013 vs 0 in 2012. In both 2012 and 2013, the greatest variability in expert treatment recommendations was observed for HR-, HER2- cases.

Conclusions: An online tool providing expert advice on specific MBC patient scenarios either confirmed or changed the clinical approach for a majority of community practitioners. Decision support tools may increase the number of clinicians who make optimal treatment decisions for patients with MBC, especially when new data, agent indications, and guideline updates must be incorporated. Detailed comparisons of expert and user responses from the 2012 and 2013 decision support tools will be presented.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P1-12-01.

Evaluation of outcome by race in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer

Most studies of outcome by race in cancer have shown that blacks have a shorter survival compared to whites, both overall and within each TNM stage. We endeavored to evaluate the difference in survival by race in US military veterans treated for early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This retrospective analysis of overall survival by race, looking at all-cause mortality in a group of consecutively treated veterans with stage I-II NSCLC, was carried out at a 1,000-bed tertiary care Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The study included 143 white and 45 black patients treated with curative intent for stage I-II NSCLC between January 1982 through August 1994. Nineteen patients received radiotherapy alone for their treatment while the remaining 169 underwent a complete surgical resection. There were no significant differences in patient characteristics for important prognostic variables. An overall survival analysis of all-cause mortality found no significant difference between the two groups. With equal access to health care, as is available for eligible patients in Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, racial differences in lung cancer treatment outcome may be diminished or eliminated.

Cardiotoxicity of Trastuzumab Treatment in African American Women and Older Women in the Non Trial Setting

Background: Trastuzumab treatment, both adjuvant and metastatic, has resulted in an improved survival for HER2 positive breast cancer patients. Cardiotoxicity of trastuzumab has been demonstrated in clinical trials, but predictive determinants of cardiotoxicity are lacking. We aimed to examine the incidence of cardiac events and identify potential predictive factors in African American and older women treated with trastuzumab, two cohorts that are under-represented in the trastuzumab trials.Methods: HER2 positive breast cancer patients who received trastuzumab, and were African American (cohort 1) or ≥ 55 years of age (cohort 2) were identified by a search of our breast database. Cohort 2 included only those women who received adjuvant trastuzumab since they were more likely to have been treated with an anthracycline similar to the patients on the two large adjuvant trastuzumab trials (B-31 & N9831) that identified age &gt; 50 as a risk factor. Cardiac event was defined as any decline in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by &gt; 10% points from baseline or drop to &lt; 50%, Grade III/IV New York Heart Association congestive heart failure (CHF), new onset angina/myocardial infarction, significant arrhythmia or sudden cardiac death during trastuzumab treatment. Uni and multi variable models were fitted to examine association between potential risk factors and a cardiac event.Results: 123 patients were included in this analysis (Cohort 1 N= 66, Cohort 2 N = 57). Select patient characteristics for cohort 1 and 2 respectively include: median age: 57 (range 27-82) & 66 (range 55-82), patients with prior anthracycline exposure: 67% & 68%, median cumulative anthracycline dose: 240mg/m2 in both cohorts, patients with at least one preexisting risk factor (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, obesity, coronary artery, cerebrovascular, or valvular disease, diastolic dysfunction and left ventricular hypertrophy): 80% & 79% with median number of risk factors being 2 (0-7) in both cohorts. Incidence of any cardiac event was 38% in cohort 1(N=25, 19 (30%) with LVEF decline &gt; 10%, 16 (24%) with LVEF &lt;50%, 7 (11%) with Grade III/IV CHF, 1 each with arrhythmia, angina and sudden cardiac death) and 39% in cohort 2 (N= 22, 17 (31%) with LVEF decline &gt;10%, 9 (16%) with LVEF &lt;50%, 4 (7%) with Grade III/IV CHF, 2 with angina and 1 with arrhythmia). Of the variables analyzed, only hypertension was associated with an increased risk of having a cardiac event in cohort 1(OR 3.8, p= 0.02). None of the variables attained significance in cohort 2. Total number of preexisting risk factors and age, both analyzed as continuous variables, did not predict an increased risk in either cohort.Conclusion: A high rate of cardiac events, both asymptomatic and symptomatic was observed during trastuzumab treatment in African American women and those older than 55, majority of whom had preexisting comorbidities. Phase III trastuzumab trials by excluding patients with significant comorbidities do not reflect the risk of treatment for such patients and clinicians should consider this during decision making. Further research for predictive markers is needed to identify patients at higher risk of experiencing a cardiac event.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 5087.

Does race affect outcomes in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC)?

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Background: TNBC is associated with a worse prognosis than luminal subtypes. There is discordance among studies assessing the impact of race on outcomes of TNBC. Our objective was to assess whether African American (AA) vs. Caucasian (CA) race predicted survival outcomes for women with TNBC treated at a single institution in Memphis, TN. Secondary objectives were to examine the association of race with patient and tumor characteristics. Methods: Patients with stage I-III TNBC were identified from our breast cancer database and confirmed by review of pathology reports. Event free survival (EFS) was measured from the date of surgery to the date of first recurrence (locoregional, distant, or contralateral), death from breast cancer or last follow-up. Breast cancer specific survival (BCSS) was measured from the date of surgery to the date of death from breast cancer or last follow-up. Fisher's exact test was used for association between variables, Kaplan Meier method for survival estimates, and log rank test for survival comparison between groups (p < 0.05: significant). Cox proportional hazards models with patient, tumor and treatment variables were fitted for EFS and BCSS. Results: Of the 105 patients with TNBC, 71% were AA. There was no significant association between race and stage at diagnosis (p = 0.68). 71% of AA women were < 55 years old and 43% were pre-menopausal vs. 50% and 23% of CA women respectively. There was a trend towards association of race with age and menopausal status (p = 0.08). Ninety three percent of the patients received neo/adjuvant chemotherapy. With a median follow up of 26 months, 26% of AA vs. 20% of CA women had an event (p = 0.62). Overall 3 year EFS and BCSS estimates were 69% and 82% respectively. Racial differences in EFS and BCSS for AA vs. CA (65% vs. 80% and 78% vs. 89%, respectively) did not achieve statistical significance (log rank p = 0.22 for EFS and 0.26 for BCSS). Race was not a significant predictor of EFS or BCSS on uni-variable or multi-variable analysis. Stage at diagnosis retained significance for EFS and BCSS on uni-variable and multi-variable testing. Conclusions: Race did not affect outcomes in our cohort of TNBC patients treated similarly. The high event rate underscores the poor prognosis of TNBC and the need for more effective therapies.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Development of cavitation while on bevacizumab (BV) therapy in patients (pts) with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Results from ARIES—A bevacizumab (BV) treatment observational cohort study (OCS)

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Background: BV (Avastin), an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody, prolongs progression-free and overall survival in advanced NSCLC pts. Severe (≥grade 3) pulmonary hemorrhage (sPH) is a rare but serious event that has been associated with BV-based therapy in phase 3 trials (rate of 2–4%). Potential risk factors include squamous histology, prior history of hemoptysis, and presence of tumor cavitation. Rates of baseline (BL) cavitation in NSCLC pts and development of cavitation on BV therapy are unknown. Pts in ARIES, an OCS of approximately 2,000 pts with NSCLC, had BL scans assessed for tumor cavitation. A substudy of approximately 250 pts also had follow-up scans to analyze the likelihood of developing cavitation on BV therapy. For the entire ARIES population, any pt developing sPH is assessed for tumor cavitation. Methods: Pts at specified ARIES sites submitted on-treatment CT scans to an independent review facility (IRF), in addition to BL scans. Evaluable pts had measurable disease at BL and at least one-post-BL scan. Correlations between cavitation (pre-existing or developing on-study) and clinical, tumor and treatment characteristics are evaluated using a chi-squared test or t-test. Incidence of sPH based on cavitation status will be assessed using Fisher's exact test. Results: As of 9/15/08, 210 pts had a post-BL CT scan reviewed by the IRF. Of these pts, 171 had measurable tumors at BL. For the 171 pt cohort: median F/U is 9.2 m; 99% have ≥1 quarterly update. Key BL characteristics for the substudy and overall cohorts, respectively, include: 44% vs 51% ≥65 yrs; 67% vs 67% adenocarcinoma; 6% vs 5% therapeutic AC. BL radiographic features: 41% vs 39% presence of central tumor; 13% vs 15% presence of cavitation. In substudy pts, there is 1 sPH to date in a pt without baseline cavitation. Conclusions: sPH is a rare, potentially serious event in pts with NSCLC receiving BV. Whether cavitation (BL or developing on-treatment) is associated with an increased risk of sPH has not been defined. The final analysis of an ARIES Lung substudy assessing on-study development of cavitation and association with sPH will be presented at the meeting.

[Table: see text]

Technology exchange for cancer health network

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Background: The Technology Exchange for Cancer Health Network (TECH-Net) is a collaborative, multi-state effort to implement a systematic care program to improve cancer management in the rural communities of west Tennessee, north Mississippi and east Arkansas. This Health Information Technology (HIT) project uses a two-pronged approach to total clinical decision support: (1) provide access to oncology, hematology, and other specialists through the dedicated telehealth network of the University of Tennessee's Health Science Center in conjunction with the University of Tennessee Cancer Institute; and (2) rely on a distributed electronic health record (EHR) with integrated decision support systems for online management of cancer protocols, electronic orders, and medication management. Methods: Patients with a cancer diagnosis requiring treatment for at least one year are eligible to participate. The ultimate goal for this project is to enroll 250 patients (125 rural, 125 urban) and compare quality, safety, and cost outcomes for patients receiving rural Telehealth care versus “routine” urban care. Telehealth patients see their oncologist in person at the rural sites for initial care, and see their physician via telemedicine for approximately one-half of their subsequent visits. This approach allows the clinician to make in-person clinical assessments on a regular basis while still taking advantage of the time savings associated with telemedicine. Results: 163 patients have been enrolled in the study (127 rural, 36 urban) over 18 months. Patient satisfaction has been high - 95 % of patients indicated their telemedicine visit was as good as or better than an in-person office visit. Cost analysis comparing cost savings (physician travel time) with telemedicine costs (equipment, high speed lines) indicates that the cost-benefit depends critically on distance to the rural facility and number of physician trips avoided. Initial cost data indicate that telemedicine must save at least 5 hours of physician travel time per month to break even. Conclusions: Telemedicine offers a feasible method for increasing access to oncology care in rural areas that is well-accepted by both patients and clinicians.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Adjuvant trastuzumab (T) therapy in HER2+ breast cancer after ASCO 2005: Patients’ attitudes and immediate economic burden

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Background: Data from 3 large randomized trials documenting the efficacy of T in the adjuvant setting were reported at ASCO 2005, and subsequently published in NEJM 2005; 353: (16) pp 1659–72 and 1673–1684 . We decided to offer T, and attempted to assess patients’ characteristics that influence its acceptance, in a subgroup of HER2 + patients that had already completed adjuvant chemotherapy at our institution within 12 months prior to these reported results. Methods: Using Electronic Medical Records (OpTx, Canada), we identified HER2+ breast cancer patients who had completed adjuvant therapy within the prior 12 months and administered an informational synopsis about the study results. They then completed a questionnaire, including their demographic information, that established their understanding of the data and documented their decision to receive or to not receive adjuvant T as an afterthought. Results: We identified 1442 breast cancer patients in Optx that were seen at UTCI for initial or follow up visits between May 2004 and May 2005. Those with 3 or fewer visits within the last year and those who received no chemotherapy (n = 770) were excluded. Of the remaining 672 patients, only 104 (15%) had documented HER2+ disease. Fourteen HER2+ patients had metastatic disease, while 84 patients, though HER2+, had either completed adjuvant chemotherapy greater than 12 months prior or were currently receiving adjuvant therapy or T, and/or had other reasons to not be suitable for T. Six patients qualified for this study; 5 decided to receive adjuvant T and 1 chose not to because she perceived the additional benefit to be minimal. Conclusions: While our sample size was too small in the end to draw conclusions about patients’ attitudes towards new data on adjuvant T, we were struck by the small number of patients who could be offered T as an afterthought despite our large patient volume. The magnitude of the perceived economic burden and its imminence after the release of these data may have been overestimated.

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Neoadjuvant docetaxel followed by adjuvant doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide in patients with stage III breast cancer

BACKGROUND

To evaluate clinical and pathologic response to neoadjuvant docetaxel therapy in patients with stage III breast cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Forty-five patients were planned to receive four cycles of docetaxel 100 mg/m2 every 3 weeks, followed by surgery, four cycles of doxorubicin 60 mg/m2 and cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2 (AC) every 3 weeks, radiation therapy (RT), and tamoxifen when indicated.

RESULTS

After four cycles of neoadjuvant docetaxel, the clinical response rate within the breast was 59% (95% CI 42% to 73%) and overall (breast and axilla) was 49% (95% CI 38% to 72%) in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population. At the time of surgery, 10% (n=4) of patients had a pathologic complete response (pCR) in the breast, 27% (n=11) had a pCR within the axillary lymph nodes, and 7% (n=3) had a pCR in the breast and axilla (95% CI 2% to 21%). An additional 5% (n=2) had minimal residual invasive tumor (<5 mm). The 5-year overall survival rate was 80%. The percentage of patients with grade 3/4 neutropenia was similar during docetaxel (93%) and AC (86%), while a greater percentage of patients had febrile neutropenia during docetaxel treatment (27%) compared with AC treatment (7%).

CONCLUSIONS

Neoadjuvant docetaxel followed by surgery, adjuvant AC, hormonal therapy where indicated, and RT is an active regimen for patients with stage III breast cancer.

The benefits of support group participation to lung cancer survivors--an evaluation

It has been known for some time that participation in support groups is beneficial for most cancer survivors. Despite this, and even though lung cancer causes more deaths than breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers combined, the number of support groups formed for lung cancer survivors is surprisingly very small. In an effort to understand the lack of lung cancer specific support groups, the Alliance for Lung Cancer Advocacy, Support, and Education (ALCASE) conducted a survey of the facilitators of the lung cancer support groups then known to be in existence in the United States, in addition to a follow-up focus group with the facilitators via teleconference. The results of the survey and the focus group provide a very preliminary look at the value to lung cancer survivors of participating in support groups organized specifically for them. However, much more research is required, not only with the participants of these groups, but also with lung cancer survivors who do not participate, to fully gauge the effects of support group participation on the progress of their disease and on their quality of life.

Cancer gene discovery using digital differential display

The Cancer Gene Anatomy Project database of the National Cancer Institute has thousands of expressed sequences, both known and novel, in the form of expressed sequence tags (ESTs). These ESTs, derived from diverse normal and tumor cDNA libraries, offer an attractive starting point for cancer gene discovery. Using a data-mining tool called Digital Differential Display (DDD) from the Cancer Gene Anatomy Project database, ESTs from six different solid tumor types (breast, colon, lung, ovary, pancreas, and prostate) were analyzed for differential expression. An electronic expression profile and chromosomal map position of these hits were generated from the Unigene database. The hits were categorized into major classes of genes including ribosomal proteins, enzymes, cell surface molecules, secretory proteins, adhesion molecules, and immunoglobulins and were found to be differentially expressed in these tumorderived libraries. Genes known to be up-regulated in prostate, breast, and pancreatic carcinomas were discovered by DDD, demonstrating the utility of this technique. Two hundred known genes and 500 novel sequences were discovered to be differentially expressed in these select tumor-derived libraries. Test genes were validated for expression specificity by reverse transcription-PCR, providing a proof of concept for gene discovery by DDD. A comprehensive database of hits can be accessed at http:// www.fau.edu/cmbb/publications/cancergenes. htm. This solid tumor DDD database should facilitate target identification for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.

HER-2/neu expression in archival non-small cell lung carcinomas using FDA-approved Hercep test

HER-2/neu is a 185 kDa glycoprotein related to the epidermal growth factor receptor. Overexpressed in 25-30% of primary breast carcinomas, HER-2/neu is associated with a poor clinical outcome. Recently the FDA approved an antibody to HER-2/neu, trastuzumab (Herceptin), for the treatment of HER-2/neu overexpressing metastatic breast cancers. Relatively little is known about HER-2/neu status and lung cancers. We reasoned that if HER-2/neu status could be ascertained in non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs), and a clinical correlation can be established, a rationale for the use of Herceptin in this tumor type could be established. Using a FDA-approved standardized diagnostic kit, HercepTest, for detection of HER-2/neu in clinical specimens, we examined the expression of HER-2/neu in NSCLCs in archival paraffin-embedded specimens (N = 81). In normal epithelium, HER-2/neu expression was not detected in a majority of samples (74/81). HER-2/neu overexpression was detected in 27% of the tumors of different histological types including adenocarcinomas, large cell carcinomas, and squamous cell carcinomas. Poor to moderately differentiated, but not well differentiated tumors showed overexpression of HER-2/neu. The specificity of HercepTest was further increased (from 27% to 21%) when the expression in the few normal tissues was subtracted from the tumor score. HER-2/neu may offer an attractive predictive and prognostic factor for NSCLC.

Results of a trial with topotecan dose escalation and concurrent thoracic radiation therapy for locally advanced, inoperable nonsmall cell lung cancer

PURPOSE

To conduct a dose escalation clinical study with topotecan and concurrent standard dose thoracic irradiation to assess its feasibility and toxicity in the treatment of patients with locally advanced, inoperable nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLCA).

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Between April 1993 and August 1994, 12 patients with inoperable, loco-regionally advanced NSCLCA were entered in a prospective dose escalation trial and assigned to receive concurrent thoracic radiotherapy and topotecan. Patients received thoracic irradiation to a total tumor dose of 60 Gy in 30 fractions. Initial fields were to encompass the gross disease plus the mediastinum. Topotecan was delivered by bolus injection days 1 through 5, and days 22 through 26, beginning on the same day as the radiation therapy. The initial dose level was 0.5 mg/m2. Two additional dose levels of 0.75 mg/m2 and 1.0 mg/m2 were tested.

RESULTS

Six patients were accessioned to the 0.5 mg/m2 dose level, three patients to the 0.75 mg/m2 dose level, and three patients to the 1.0 mg/m2 dose level. At the 0.5 mg/m2 dose level, zero of six patients had > or = Grade 4 hematologic toxicity. One of the six had Grade 3 esophagitis. At the 0.75 mg/m2 dose level, two of three patients had > or = Grade 3 nonhematologic toxicity including anorexia, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and weakness; zero patients experienced > or = Grade 4 hematologic toxicity. At the 1.0 mg/m2 dose level one of three patients had > or = Grade 3 esophagitis, and two of three patients experienced Grade 4 neutropenia. With a follow-up of 12 to 24 months, two patients are alive and free of disease, three patients are alive with disease (two with distant metastasis, one with local disease and distant metastasis), and the remaining seven patients are dead of disease.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of topotecan and thoracic radiotherapy for nonsmall lung cancer, in the manner given by this protocol, could be safely given at a dose level of only 0.5 mg/m2 days 1 to 5 and 22 to 26 with 60 Gy of external beam radiotherapy. Higher doses of topotecan were associated with high hematologic and gastrointestinal toxicity. Distant metastasis was the primary pattern of failure.

Multicenter phase II study of weekly oral vinorelbine for stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer

PURPOSE

We initiated a large multicenter phase II trial in stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to evaluate the activity and safety of an oral gelatin-based formation of vinorelbine.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Twenty-three centers participated in this uncontrolled phase II study, which accrued patients between August 1991 and March 1992. Eligible patients had previously untreated measurable or assessable stage IV NSCLC, age more than 18 years, and Karnofsky performance status > or = 70%. The treatment plan initially was to administer 100 mg/m2/wk of oral vinorelbine or 80 mg/m2/wk for patients who had received prior radiation therapy. After the observation of grade IV granulocytopenia in six of the first 25 patients, subsequent doses were reduced by 40 mg (one capsule) in all patients.

RESULTS

One hundred sixty-two patients were treated: 138 with measurable and 24 with assessable disease. One hundred two patients were men and 60 women. The mean age was 62 years (range, 36 to 83). The overall response rate was 14.5% for patients with measurable disease (95% confidence interval, 9.3% to 21.7%). The median time to treatment failure (TTF) for all patients was 9 weeks. The median survival time was 29 weeks; the 1-year survival rate was 22%. Toxicities included grade 3 or 4 neutropenia in 40%, which was dependent on the vinorelbine dose. Other toxicities included mild to moderate nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, and stomatitis. The mean dose intensity of vinorelbine was 53 mg/m2.

CONCLUSION

Oral vinorelbine administered once weekly is an active agent in stage IV NSCLC. The median survival time of 29 weeks is similar to that achieved with single-agent intravenous vinorelbine and more aggressive cisplatin-based combinations. Further studies of this compound in the palliative-intent care setting appear to be indicated.

Oral vinorelbine (Navelbine) in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a preliminary report

Vinorelbine (Navelbine; Burroughs Wellcome Co, Research Triangle Park, NC; Pierre Fabre Médicament, Paris, France) is a novel semisynthetic vinca alkaloid with antitumor activity in non-small cell lung cancer. An oral preparation of this drug is under investigation and was tested in a multicenter phase II study in patients with stage IV measurable or evaluable non-small cell lung cancer. The initial vinorelbine dose was 100 mg/m2/wk (80 mg/m2/wk for patients with prior radiotherapy). Following an initial 37% incidence of grade 3 or 4 neutropenia, the dose was reduced by 40 mg/dose. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and mucositis were other frequently observed toxicities. A preliminary analysis indicated a response rate of 14%, suggesting activity of this drug when administered orally.